Blood transfusion apparatus



sept. 11, 1934. s. MEEKER 1,973,351

BLOOD TRANsFUsIoN APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1952 Lili;

Patented Sept. 11, 1934 ..1973351" Bmo 1 yiv'.iiii1isiiiJSLIQN Armas-TUSY Y A Sidney Meeker, lvlelnphis,` Tenn. Y Application une 13, 1932,serial Nt.l 617,623' Claims 01: l1.2.8:-2140 lh'isinvention relatestoimprove'ments ina direct blood transfusion apparatus, 4and the primaryobjects of the-invention are to provide an apparatus whichwilllca'u'se acontinuousffiow of blood rfrema` donorto a recipient by the use ofmultiple syringes 4and a fourway valve; which will permit thetransfusion- -of blood to' be given irl-one half the-timethat requiredwith they vapparatus new in' genera-l use; -that will retain only arelatively small amount of dormant bloodi -`(or'none `at all by one typeof Valve) and retain this amount only fone halt-as llong as theinstruments now in general useand which will allow a small arnountofysodium citrateor other solution tobe mixed with-the blood, to make theclotting time ustflon'gfenough -to prevent coagulation while the bloodis passing vthrough -the instrument. Afurtherlobject is to provide aninstrument of this character, which maybe readily dismantledtofacilitate cleaning, transportation or storage. Another 'object is-tokfurnish anapparatus of this character, Awhich-is of simple andinexpensive construction, and which-.will last `indefinitely without thenecessity ofv replacing parts.

With the'iforegoing objects .outlined and with other objectsin-fviewwhich will appear as the description proceeds, my inventionconsistsinthe novel features hereinafter described in` detail, illustratedinrthe accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out `theappended claims. Y l @Referring :to the drawing, Fignlvis a plan View of`the .apparatus Vpartly in horizontal sectiomand 'showing the ,parts .inthel position in which one .of `thesyringes is deliveringwbloodtotherecipient,.through a valve plug .having fourparts.` 1 .1

Fig..2 isa similar,'view'butshowing theparts in the ,position which:they occupyiwhen 4the syringe is delivering `blood to the recipient..-v Fig. `3 is `aiverticalsectional view on .the .line 3-3 of Fig. 2. l

Figs a'sectional'view of the needle valve.

The apparatus shown in the drawing comprises a base or plate 2, to whichis attached a four way Valve 9.

The casing 3 of the valve has an upstanding annular Wall 4 forming atapered bore, and there are four'radial passageways 5, 6, 7 and 8,extending horizontally through the wall and arranged at about 90 degreesrelatively to one another. In the use of the apparatus, the p-assageway5 is connected with the recipient, the passageway 6, with the donor, thepassageway 7 with one syringe 17, and the passageway 8 with the other beprovided with a projecting nipplel i A plug 9 is rotatably mountedin thetapered bore and its periphery is-tapered to accord with the wall ofthebore, and va spring -10 is mounted on the wall 4 and bears against theplug to urge the same into-thebore." Ihe spring 101Inay` be replaced by'a coil-spring `19 surroundingA aprojec'tion 20 of the `plug v9 and heldin place and tension applied by set nut 2,1. A handle'll is firmlysecured .to the .plug to permit the same to be rotated. 'l i As bestshown in Figs. land 2, the plug is provided with two curved ports 12 and1.3, the ends of .which are 90 degreesV apart, so as Ato cooperate withthe passageways of the casing, and the plug is also provided withcrossed .ports 14 andal, whose rends are 190 Vdegrees rapart in .orderthat they may register with the passagevvays of the casing'when the plugis turned intothe position shown in Fig. 2. At this time-it will benoted that all of .theports of the .plug are always out ofcommunication.

.Whenthepartsare in the position shown in Fig. 1, the blood willbeo'wing rornthe donor through passageway 6, port `13 ,and passageway .8to the right hand Luer syringe. 16,-.and. from .the left hand -Luersyringe `17, ythrough passageway 7, port .l2 `and passageway 5 .to Vtherecipient. On ,the other hand, .when the .parts are Iin the positionshowny in Fig. 2, blood will be flowing `from the donor throughpassageway, port laand passageway 7 4to .the vsyringe `17, .and :fromsyringe 116, through passageway .8, port 15 ,and passageway `5 to Ytherecipient. vTo accomplish .this result, and allow the bloodito` flowcontinuously, the ,pistonsQ-f thesyringes are continuouslyreciprocated,but in theopposite directions. l i'. i

It will be understood that the valve'plug is to Voscillate inA unisonwiththe strokes of 4thesyringe pistons, `and to Ifacilitate theregistrationof 4the plugports with the passagewaysof the casing, and tolimit the movement of the p1ug,1suita ble stop means are provided. Suchmeans may include a recess cut in the upper portion of the casing 3, andhaving opposite abutments 18 engaging the handle 11.

To facilitate the addition of sodium citrate solution or the like to theblood while in transit, I arrange in the donors pipe line, a valvestructure 22 (Fig. 4) having a passageway 23 for the blood, and a port24 for the introduction of the solution. This port 24 is controlled by aneedle valve 25. The arrangement of the parts is such that where thereis a short clotting of the donors blood, that syringe 16, and each ofthese-passageways may 'les is, less than three minutes, the needle valve25 will allow as small amount of sodium citrate or other solution as ispossible, to mix with the blood, to make the clotting time just longenough to prevent coagulation while the blood is passing through theinstrument.

In operation the passageway 6 will be placed in communication with thedonor, and the passageway 5 in communication with the recipient, and thevalve plug 9 will be in the position shown in Fig. 1. Now, when thepiston of syringe 16 moves outwardly to the position shown in Fig; 2,blood will be fed from the donor through passagewayg, port 13 andpassageway 8, into the barrel of syringe 16, until the barrel is lledwith blood. When theH valve is shifted into the position shown in Fig.2, and while the piston of syringe 16 is forcing blood from the syringethrough passageway 8, port 15 and passageway 5 to the recipient, thepiston of syringe 17 will be drawing blood from the donor throughpassageway 6, port 14 and passageway 7. Consequently, while theapparatus is in operation, blood will be continuously drawn from thedonor and passed to the recipient. Furthermore, the structure is suchthat the only dormant blood during the transfusion will be that retainedby ports of the valve plug, while those ports are not interposed in thelines through which the blood is iiowing. Howeven as the apparatus willbe operated continuously, it will be apparent that the dormant bloodwill only be retained in the ports for a short period of time, that is,the time period during which the blood is flowing through the otherports of the valve.

As to the advantages of the invention over the instruments now generallyused, they may be summarized as follows:-

1. A continuous flow of blood from donor to recipient.

2. The transfusion is given in half the time of a one-syringeinstrument.

3. The amount of dormant blood in theports 14, 15, or 12, 13, shown inFigs. 1 and 2, is less than two inches in length. Hence, there is only avery small amount that is liable to coagulate.

4. The amount of dormant blood in the onesyringe method, is fifteeninches or more, depending on the length of the tubing connecting thesyringe to the donor and to the recipient. Hence, there is not overone-fifteenth as much blood in my apparatus liable to coagulation, asshown in the valve of Figs. 1 and 2.

5. 'Ihe dormant blood lies stagnant only half as long with the presentinstrument.

6. A simple means for changing the current of blood from one syringe tothe other. l

'7. The syringes are of the Luer type in common use, hence new ones arequickly available'in case of breakage.

8. The instrument can be employed for injecting any kind of fluidintravenously by connecting the passageway 6 to the container for theiiuid that is to be injected.

9. The instrument can be readily sterilized, by boiling or other methodsand this is facilitated by the use of removable parts.

10. A simple means for adding sodium citrate or other solution ifnecessary, in definite percentages, to the stream of blood, to preventcoagulation.

11. Few working parts to get out of order.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation andkadvantages of the invention may be readily understood by those skilledin the art, and I am aware that changes may be made in the detailsdisclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, asexpressed in the claims.

`What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. In anapparatus of the character described, a valvecasing having an inletpassageway, an outlet passageway and a plurality of combined inlet andoutlet passageways, syringe barrels in constant communication with saidcombined inlet and outlet passageways, pistons for said barrels, thepistons reciprocating in opposite directions by hand, and a valve plugcooperating with said casing and provided with two pairs of portsadapted when the plug is shifted, to alternately cooperate with saidpassageways for alternately placing each syringe in communication withsaid inlet passageway.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the valve casing andplug have contacting frusto-conical surfaces.

3., An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the plug is rotatablymounted in the valve casing, and is providedwith means for yieldinglyurging the plug into the casing.

4. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a base plate, avalve casing, said casing having four passageways spaced at 90 degreesrelatively to one another, a rotatable plug detachably mounted in thecasing and having two pairs of ports adapted when the plug isoscillated, to alternately place a pair of passageways in communicationwith the otherpair of passageways, and syringes having barrelsconstantly communicating with a pair of said passageways.

. 5. In an apparatus of the character described, abase plate, a valvecasing mounted on the base plate and having four passageways arranged at90 degrees relatively to one another, a rotatable plug mounted in thecasing and having a first pair of ports with their ends arranged at 90degrees relatively to one another, said plug having a secondpair ofports with their ends arranged at 90 degrees relatively to one anotherbut spaced degrees from the ends of the rst pair of ports, all of theports cooperating with said passageways, syringe barrels communicatingwith a pair of said passageways,l and pistons reciprocating, in saidbarrels, simultaneously in opposite directions by hand.

SIDNEY MEEKER.

